The Lakes & Fells - Wildlife of England's North-west

From the shores of Morecambe Bay to the moors of the Lakeland fells, this part of North West England is rich in wildlife and a joy for any visiting naturalist. An estuary of international importance, Morecambe Bay straddles the Lancashire and Cumbria border and is at the heart of this foray into North West England. The area is home to some of the UK’s most special areas, containing two areas of outstanding natural beauty (AONB’s) and the southern tip of the Lake District National Park.

Morecambe Bay’s vast mudflats, saltmarshes and dune systems hold breeding waders, terns, gulls and wildfowl and there is even the chance of a Natterjack Toad or breeding Osprey. These coastal habitats then blend into such diverse wetland habitats as flower-rich fens, reed bed and lowland bogs, where specialist species such as sundews, Bog Rosemary, Raft Spider, White-faced Darter, Tree Pipit and Nightjar may be found.

Encircling the Bay is a band of underlying carboniferous limestone that offers limestone pavement, floristically rich pastures and diverse woodlands. Greater and Lesser Butterfly, Fly, Northern Marsh, Frog, Fragrant, Dark Red Helleborine and the stunning Lady's Slipper Orchids are to be found here alongside other limestone flora such as Bird's-eye Primrose, Rigid Buckler Fern and the local Lancaster Whitebeam. The area is also well known for its butterflies and, weather permitting, we have a good chance of a late Duke of Burgundy, Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Northern Brown Argus, Large Heath, Dark Green Fritillary and possibly an early High Brown Fritillary.

Moving a little further inland we encounter the classic mountainous fells of the Eastern Lake District around the RSPB’s Haweswater nature reserve. In the diverse woodlands and scrub a good range of breeding migrant warblers may be found, too, along with local specialties such as Marsh Tit and Hawfinch. The edge of the High Fells is home to important populations of breeding waders, with Snipe, Redshank, Lapwing, Curlew and Oystercatcher abundant in the northern pastures and meadows. In the open country we have a chance of a breeding Merlin, Peregrine and Short-eared Owl.... while, in the wooded Naddle valley at Haweswater, we will look for Red Squirrel, Redstarts, Pied Flycatchers and the occasional Wood Warbler may be found, together with Dipper in the uplands streams. This evening we will take dinner at a nearby pub before a visit to a Badger hide after the sun has set. 

Over the four days we’ll visit some of the key habitats and wildlife reserves that this beautiful area has to offer. We’ll set off at around 9am from the hotel, returning in time for dinner in the evening (with the exception of Day 3). Each day we’ll stop at local pubs or cafes for lunch and comfort breaks, but we’ll keep the exact programme flexible in order to make the best use of our time and the weather. All of the areas that we intend to visit are within easy driving distance of each other and our hotel.